Prat boy and me
by jamessiriuspotterforever
Summary: Denise Leopold is anything but popular and she is perfectly content with the way things have worked out for her. All she needs is a little drama to brink over the edge of her normally peaceful life and turn her seventh year into an absolute nightmare. If there is one person she fancies as much she hates its James Potter and its about to turn even more complicated than that.
1. Dramatic Introductions by Denise Leopold

Hi, hello to everyone out there! For those of you who don't know me I am completely boring and the most uninteresting booknerdish kinda person ever! Seriously, my life revolves around books so no one would fall for me. Not that I want anyone falling for me, pfft as if. When you tell someone about yourself I guess you write about your talents, dreams and obsessions. I have no talents, except the fact that I can read a book comprising 400 pages in a night if you can call it a talent. It messes with my beauty too. I have these huge dark circles under my eyes that never seem to go away and I have to tell everyone that no, I am not insomniac. I just pull all nighters for something as stupid as what other people call it: reading. Moving on to the dreams bit I would like to be an auror some day. I know crazy right? I got it in my head ever since I read the book divergent. It's the closest thing to dauntless in our world and fighting crime in trendy superhero outfits has always held some kinda zeal for me. Not that I would wear what wonder woman wears. Hello! I live in the twenty first century, I have got some taste. You have got to give me some credit for it. As for the obsessions bit I am obsessed about the book heroes I read about and when no one understands my obsession with them I just gooh and gaah all about them to myself. I talk to myself too, pretending I am talking to my latest crush. Just yesterday William from the infernal devices was telling me how he got bitten by a duck, poor boy. Or the day before when I went cliff jumping with my family, Four from divergent told me what posture I should select so that I don't topple over my feet and fall face first into the water. It's just water I know but a little extra precaution doesn't hurt. I was kidding of course. I don't wanna be sent to st mungos, though if anybody ever comes across these thoughts of mine I am sure that I would most probably be shipped off to st mungos before I can say "oh William save me!" Oh and yes this is all muggle literature I am obsessed with. Wizarding comic books are cool though.

Enough about my weird obsessions and talents now comes the real deal. My name is Denise Leopold and I am going to attend my seventh and last year at Hogwarts( the best place on this earth) I cant wait for September 1st, mostly because its going to be my last year at Hogwarts which makes me sad in a way but also anxious to start my adult life. I'd like to make the best of it. Constricted in the shackles of the castle can be a wee bit boring at times but hey we have got hogsmeade to take that away when it becomes unbearable. I don't play quidditch and I am an average student when it comes to grades. I have joined a few societies like the drama club where the people act on wizarding plays. I don't act, pfft I am too much of a scaredy cat to act in front of dozens of people. I direct them on how to act which I guess is way cooler. This society started when I was in my second year and I dreamed of being the president ever since I first saw the membership sign up in my common room. And now that I am, I can't wait to get everything started on my own terms. It's bound to be one exciting year!

I found myself up at ten thirty, totally unlike me because my dad was yelling at me to get dressed as we had to go to granddad Arthurs place today. I groaned and cursed myself for ever agreeing to go to there in the first place but you cant turn my dad down. When he has set his mind to something it's quite a task to change it. As far as I know only mum can do it and now I was too far gone to ask her. Its not that I don't like that place, I love the burrow. Especially nana molly's cooking and granddad Arthur's muggle obsession, to be fair I find it a bit cute because I share the obsession to some extent. I just don't seem to get on with the other people my age in that house especially wee Potter and his despicable sidekick Fred. They're just so insolent and self assured, prats I tell you! Though my best friend would clearly disagree as she always squeals at the sight of Fred (what does she see in him?). She's always insisting at involving ourselves a little more with the Gryffindor in-crowd, which she says wouldn't be a lot difficult considering I am family friends with the weasley-potter clan, but I don't pay heed to such requests of hers. I act like they don't exist in school and they return the favour too. They being Potter and Fred, I rather like the others namely Al, Lily, Rose, Hugo, Dominique and Roxanne. Even teddy is so cool; I don't even know how he is best mates with the prat Potter. He's so nice while Potter is just an insolent sissy who doesn't know how to mind his own business. He gives lily, Al and all of his other cousins' hell because of his meddling ways. Lily can't even kiss guys in front of him otherwise he'd punch them, the git! Poor girl might I add stuck with such a git of a brother but that's not my concern. Holy shit! I sound like I did a thesis on Potter which I did NOT do by the way, just saying. So now you can see why I was dreading this afternoon.

I got up from my bed and moved towards the bathroom like the walking dead. I couldn't feel my legs. I guess that happens when you sleep for fourteen hours straight. I quickly took a bath and blow dried my hair (dad insists on using muggle appliances) then I made my appearance down in the kitchen.

"Morning", I said yawning slightly. Mum looked at me disapprovingly as this was not the lady-like thing to do. I got reprimanded by her for the weirdest things ever, like sneezing inappropriately in public but I still love my mum.

"Good morning sweetiepie. Up already?" Mum said fixing me with an astounded look as I tend to get up late, 12ish. Hey, don't judge me, after all its vacation.

"Yes, apparently dad has got to go to the burrow today and I have to go with him. You know how he gets." I groaned. I hated my life. Mum on the other hand looked quite amused.

"Oh, that. He told me about it yesterday but I didn't think he'd ask you to go especially because of what happened last time" Yup my mum was officially laughing at me now. Ugh.

Last Christmas eve when we went to the burrow Potter dropped cake down my beautiful blue dress and lets just say things got nasty after that. He said it was a mistake. I, for one knew he was shitting me, he likes to mess with me to wind me up so I was just returning the favour when I thrust my whole glass of coke on his Christmas jumper. Then he started throwing Bolognese at me and it got turned into a food fight with other people joining in and taking sides. And then nana weasley showed up. She surveyed us with such an angry expression on her face that I thought she might explode. I had never seen her so angry but when she spoke it was to inform us that me and Potter would be spending the summer de gnoming the garden. I remember thinking it wouldn't be too bad and I couldn't quite comprehend why everyone was giving me and Potter sympathetic glances. In about six months I knew why because let me tell you that de-gnoming gardens hurts like a bitch also when you have nothing other than your misery and sullen Potter as company. Aargh! I didn't want to think about that.

"Yeah, me neither but it seems like he's forgotten about it. Bummer I tell you" I said making the saddest face ever. It seemed like mum melted under my gaze because she sighed and said she'd make me pancakes because they are my absolute favourites. I got up and hugged her. Nothing like a pancake breakfast to cheer you up I tell you.

I watched TV for a while and then my dad showed up and told me to get dressed. I groaned inwardly, I couldn't groan in front of dad because that would cost me a whole half hour. Seriously! He drones on and on about everything he has ever done for me and how I can't seem to live up to his name. The perks of being an only child: you have an ample amount of your parents' time and they are sure to catch you doing something nasty as there are no other distractions in the form of other children. Also they have dozens of expectations from you especially if your dad works in the department of magical law enforcement. Why did he have to be such a swot? And is it really my fault that the swot genes have not been passed down to me? I feel like I am being much too negative but seriously life seems like such a blitz some days and unfortunately this was one of those days.

I found a black top with a golden neckline and matching black skinny jeans to wear with it after fishing through my closet for a good half hour. My closet is so messy even though I had cleaned it just yesterday. I found the perfect black boots to go with the outfit but the buckle of one of them was off. I sighed and made a mental note to ask my mum to fix it later. I wish July would hurry up. I could sure use to fix normal things like these. If Daisy were here right now she'd be laughing at my frenzied state. My hair was up on all fours and I looked like I had done a death march but I guess that is just what happens when you try to find something at the back of my colossal closet. You could hold a party there one of these days. I found myself wearing my favourite sandals after brushing my hair violently to get rid of the tangles which were the result of putting hands through my hair while I slept. It was one of my weird habits, don't even ask me why.

I got downstairs. Mum and Dad were already by the fireplace and dad was muttering about teenagers taking much too time to fix their appearances and one of these days he would do something about it, typical. He looked up when he saw me.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd come down for another half hour. I am surprised at you Denise." Dad muttered darkly.

"A good surprise, I hope." I joked trying to lighten up the mood.

"Don't even joke about this. Don't you realize…" Dad's face got purple when he started to give me one of his lectures, again.

"Sam darling, we're already quite late and besides Denise is already here. Its not like it is a meeting with the minister or something" Mum interrupted.

"Yes but…" Dad started.

"Punctuality is important. It gives a good impression. For the last time dad, we know!" I said exasperatedly.

Before he could say another word I got into the fireplace and shouted "The burrow"

The sight that I saw before me was none other than Potter leaning against the wall with his new play thing as he rolled her hair in his fingers, git. I surveyed them as a pang shot across my stomach. Oh, and yeah did I forgot to mention something I fancied James Potter.


	2. Life at the weasley's

Yeah so, I fancied James Potter ever since third year when he had kissed me in a game of truth or dare and I would be blind not to admit that he was a fit bloke because he was. With his brown eyes with depths like a pit that you just dive into, girls call his eyes mesmerizing they are not that great, please. He is nothing but a poised git and believe me if I could have helped fancying him I would have but I don't want to do anything about it so it doesn't really matter either way. So back to, yeah his hair casually messed up and bouncy like he had used a charm to make it so irresistible so as to flit your hands through them. And if it wasn't casually messed up he would make a point to make it so by running his fingers through at least a thousand times a day. Potter was looking up at me with a smirk that told me I had been staring unabashedly at him. Shit! I was supposed to hate him, which I did so I summoned my cool demeanor and was walking away from him when I heard him saying.

"Oi, Leopold!"

I ignored him and continued walking. I could hear footsteps behind me which told me he had followed me out of the living room. He grabbed my arm and I couldn't help but feel the jolt of electricity that flooded through me at a single touch.

"I was talking to you…" he began heatedly.

"Oh yeah? And I don't wish to speak to you." I said in the snottiest princess voice I could summon.

"Like I want to talk to you…"He scoffed. "You haven't changed a bit since last I saw you. Listen all I wanted to say was that I am sorry for getting you in trouble last Christmas cuz I know de gnoming sucks."

"Are you really apologizing to me?" I asked unbelievingly.

"Well actually, no. You have got soot all over your face which makes you look like a baboon. I wanted to tell you that in the nicest way imaginable so I had to say things that I really didn't mean" He said in a know it all voice accompanied with his characteristic smirk.

"Of course, it's you we are talking about after all. When are you ever genuinely nice?" I said rolling my eyes as I pushed past him to look in the mirror. He was right. I did look like a baboon. I saw him glancing over his shoulder in the mirror.

"Listen, I gotta go Amanda is calling me. Catch you later." he said and quickly walked out of the room.

I didn't even turn around as he left. It was always like that. On the rare occasions we did talk it was never a full on conversation. Not that I was complaining, he was insufferable and it was best to stay away from boys like him. Besides, I just like the way he looks. It's not like he has got an actual personality which is to die for. Most people would disagree with me on this as he is the star Quidditch player of the Gryffindor team and the son of the chosen one but I am not most people. And if I say he is nothing but a self assured buffoon then he isn't!

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

I made my way out of the living room after sorting out my face and applying a little bit of foundation to cover the soot marks that I hadn't been able to scrub away. The first thing I registered was a dog running towards me. Not knowing how to act I took several steps backward which only made the dog come faster. I had this huge fear of dogs which had probably got a lot to do with the fact that I had been bitten by a fiery hound when I was five. The one making its way towards me however was a golden terrier but I couldn't help but feel a bit disgruntled. Whoever keeps dogs as pets these days? But my question was soon answered by a chuckle that sounded from behind the dog and I saw that the owner was none other than Dominique Weasley.

I sighed, cursing myself for not recognizing it in the first place but in my defense I had seen the dog when it was a little puppy. Dom always had a knack of doing things that were out of the ordinary so when her owl died last year she decided she wanted a hippogriff but Uncle Bill had told her a big fat NO. She'd lashed out by going to a homeless shelter and getting (in her words) "the cutest little pup ever" but what everyone else saw was a ball of fur with a lot of flees. I don't even know how she got him into Hogwarts since dogs aren't allowed to be kept as pets. Dom came right up to me and enveloped me in a hug as if I were her long lost best friend. She's like that towards everyone. I hugged her back awkwardly with both my arms at my sides. Did I mention I'm not much of a hugging person? Yeah well I am not.

"Hey, Denise long time, eh? Did you recognize Buffy? He's all grown up now. I'll ask him to back off a little considering your fear of dogs and all. He's rather like a hippogriff. All you got to do is make the first move and he will stick by your side like a loyal sidekick. Come on make the first move, he's waiting!"

Dom is so eccentric sometimes I swear. She always gets what she wants and if she doesn't she turns them into her liking, not by force of course. She just has this aura around her that make people do what she wants (it's definitely got something to do with being part veela) Poor Buffy would have to pretend he was a hippogriff for the rest of his furry little life.

Dom was looking up at me expectantly. I sighed and bent down a bit racking my brain to remember how Hagrid taught us to act around hippogriffs. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry further because Buffy came up to me and lolled his tongue on my face. Wow, I definitely didn't expect that. Apparently, neither did Dominique.

"He's not like that with other people. Wow, you must really be a natural then. You can help me look after him. This is going to be wonderful!" she said excitedly bouncing on the soles of her feet.

I didn't know how that'd work out considering I didn't know if the dog had some ulterior motive behind it. Dogs are conniving and unpredictable creatures or so I knew.

I looked at her with a sheepish grin and said, "Yeah, he's a cute dog but you know how I feel about them. I am really not sure if that's a good idea."

"Aw, come on he'll help you get over your fear and he's not like that bloody hound that almost bit you when you were five. I assure you he's civilized. Besides, everyone in the family seems to make fun of my constant persistence with him and I thought you'd be a bit different. Understanding, like you always are but I guess I was wrong." She said turning away from me with her shoulders sagged.

I sighed, "Fine Dom, I'll go on strolls with you whenever you take him out." I said throwing my hands up in the air only pretending to look a bit annoyed. I couldn't bear the dejected look on her face. She was too nice. I didn't get why she had no friends though and always ended up being heartbroken because her fake bitchy friends would ask her to do something horrendous and when she wouldn't do it they'd humiliate her in front of the whole school. And the saddest part was that no one came to save her, not even her too over-meddling, over-protective cousins save Rose or Lily. And Potter was too busy laughing it off with his mean girlfriends whoever it was at the time. She'd always go back to them no matter what, poor girl.

Her face lit up as though Christmas had come six months early.

"Okay, then I'll come to your house later with Buffy. There's this muggle dog talent show I wanted to train him for and I sort of need your help. Since you're so good with screenwriting I thought you'd come up with an idea", she said breathlessly.

"So, you set all this up so I would agree to train him. I didn't expect this of you Dominique!" I gasped looking at her with a pretend affronted look on my face.

She flushed and mumbled, "Sorry, but I am really not good with tricks or I wouldn't have asked you."

I laughed and said, "No, I was only joking. I'd love to help you. Besides I am bored and it could serve as a healthy distraction and mum would be thrilled because it would mean that I wouldn't be watching wizards of Waverly place on the couch all day. Hey, what can I say? It's goddamn hilarious."

Her face visibly relaxed as soon as I got out the words that I had been joking. I am pretty sure she didn't hear what I said after that. It must be difficult being on edge all the time, scared to expect too much out of people because in the end you know you'll end up feeling miserable. It's not that I felt pity for her it's just she deserved a lot more.

"Can I come by your place tomorrow? The talent show is in two weeks and it would be best to start training early. There's this book I found in Granddads shed about dog tricks that could help us." She began but I cut her off.

"I am sorry Dominique; tomorrow might be a tad bit difficult seeing as how I agreed to go shopping with Daisy and Kevin to Diagon Alley. Maybe you could join us and then we'll work with Buffy when we got back?" I offered.

"That would work out perfectly seeing as how I have to get my year supplies." Dominique piped in looking excited. She even did a happy yay dance and looked expectantly at me as if silently willing me to join her but I put her off by a slight shrug murmuring that I wasn't in the mood. She didn't seem much fazed and after a while she joined me back on the couch.

"Where is Victoire? I wanted to congratulate her." I began when a loud cry interrupted my torrent of thoughts and the next words I wanted to say completely vanished from my brain. We looked up towards the source of commotion and saw Albus Potter sprawled on the floor sporting a bruised jaw looking completely baffled and Potter standing above him with a murderous look on his face. A circle of the Potter- Weasley family had already begun forming around the two boys as Teddy and Fred rushed to keep Potter off Albus. Holy shit, this could not be good.

"Albus Severus Potter I swear to God if you meddle with my relationships ever again you'll be sporting more than a bruised jaw next time." Potter bellowed.

Albus froze as comprehension dawned on his face. He opened and closed his mouth several times stopping halfway through as no discernible words came out. The eyes of the people flitted over both the Potter boys' faces trying to comprehend what in bleeding hell was happening between the two when someone entered the living room. Everyone held their breath and I found myself praying with the others that it wasn't Nana Molly because that would be a total nightmare. Thankfully it was Granddad Arthur, everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his face while he looked about the scene confusingly.

He looked at Potter and said in a fake stern voice (come on, we all know how stern he actually is) "You, explain."

Potter hesitated for a second and then seemed to think better of it. He complied by saying, " My charming brother told my girlfriend that I was doing nothing but fooling around with her and she should sort her priorities right so that she doesn't end up like all those other girls I dumped when I got tired of them. Those, I believe were his exact words and now for the first time in my life someone has called a break from me. Me! Would you believe it? And it's all because of this little shit right there. Why did I have to be stuck with such a wussy for a brother who cares about nothing but other people's feelings even when it doesn't involve him, Merlin." He finished with a groan. And people worship the ground he walks on, I ask why? He is such a grade A asshole. Who humiliates their brother in front of everyone they know? See my point about him not being a nice person? God, I need to get over this fancying thing I have going on for him and fast!

Al stuttered but managed to say "I didn't mean to. Besides you didn't really love her. She was such a nice girl and I didn't want her to be hurt when you got rid of her" I was so proud of that boy for standing up to Potter.

Potter scoffed saying "So you're telling me this has nothing to do with the fact that you have had a crush on her since last Easter?"

Albus turned bright red and stalked out of the room with Teddy at his heels. The room broke out in murmurs. Who could blame them? Meddlesome family that they were they thought they knew everything about everyone. It seemed like Al was good at hiding his emotions but Potter had just rubbed it in his face.

Granddad Arthur sighed saying something about raising Potter was like raising Fred and George all over again and then turned his authoritative voice which he rarely used on us to clear all the mess that had been created i.e the broken table Potter had pushed Al onto and the decoration pieces that had fallen off the table and were scattered on the floor. The tricky part was doing this before a 'responsible adult' got here so we all moved about quickly. Later with everything taken care of we all went to eat lunch as if nothing had happened at all, same old. We had gotten used to it all these years. At lunch I sat with Victoire and she told me about her plans about her upcoming wedding in August. She even asked me to be one of her bridesmaids and I agreed of course. It was going to be a cute wedding with her and Teddy being the cutest couple ever. I could hardly wait. She also asked me to sing a song (people think my voice is good ha ha, it so is not) I told her I'd think about it but then she gave me those puppy dog eyes coupled with the adorable veela expressions and I gave in. No wonder teddy was so head over heels in love with her. I wish to be like her someday, carefree and compassionate. However right now I am perfectly content with the sarcastic and mean version of myself that comes out more when I am around Potter. I am nicer to most people on average, just not him. After dinner the twins took out the chess board and we played a game of wizarding chess. I was a spectator as usual; I am not much of a player to be honest. Al and Potter were nowhere to be seen which meant that Al was probably in the attic with the ghoul; he liked to talk to him sometimes. I guess the ghoul was to him what my book hero crushes were to me. I didn't know about Potter though. He was off doing whatever it is that he does. Finally, dad told me in an angry voice (I guess he was still upbeat about me talking back to him before we got here) to get up because we were leaving. I said goodbye to everyone in the vicinity and stepped into the fireplace. After I got home I collapsed onto my bed and fell into a peaceful sleep as if the whole afternoon had been a weird dream I had been having this whole time.


End file.
